After a hack was recently discovered/announced that allowed PMWF5 to record 4K XAVC internally to an SxS Pro+ card, Sony announces an upgrade that will give the PMW F5 the power to do the same. The difference is the hack wouldn’t allow playback monitoring of the 4K XAVC footage. The upgrade will remedy that. The CBKZ-55FX is the upgrade announced just this morning. It allows:
- XAVC 4K/QFHD recording and playback
- 4K SDI and 4K HDMI Output
- Simultaneous recording (XAVC 4K/QFHD) and MPEG 50Mbps 422
The price is $998.00 USD and is available in December. This option will be activated by a license key which will be purchased and installed by the end-user. Requires V5.0 firmware upgrade. Non-cancellable purchase, one way upgrade, and cannot be uninstalled.
It’s true this does close the gap between the PMW-F5 and the PMW-F55 but the PMW-F55 is differentiated by a global shudder and more robust CMOS sensor and color filter array.
Also available as of this month is the option to upgrade the PMW-F5 to a PMW-F55. The Upgrade transforms your PMW-F5 into a PMW-F55. The upgrade kit includes the same CMOS sensor and Color Filter Array as the F55. After purchasing, you will receive an upgrade certificate with a unique serial number, a registration card, and upgrade scheduling instructions. You must call or email the Sony Service to schedule an appointment, and you must send the camera with your registration card to a Sony Service Center. The upgrade is normally completely in approximately two business days after receiving the F5 at the Service Center. Upon completion, you’re camera will be shipped back to you.
The cost of the F5 to F55 upgrade is $16,999.00* and is available now.
*The preorder rebate of $1,500 expired 08/31/2014
Contact your Z Systems Representative for more details
Brian Morris
